COMBAT STORIES FROM Vietnam

Ted Cummings |
1st Special Forces Group

8:06 | Remaining a strong relationship the native Montagnards, the native people of Vietnam, was essential to the success of the division. While patrolling in South Vietnam, Cummings' division came into contact with some NVA soldiers, which confirmed to them for the first time that enemy soldiers had made it that far south.

Vietnam

Being trained in unconventional warfare, Ted Cummings and his division learned about going behind enemy lines and causing massive disruptions in their ongoing processes. In special forces, the key was to train so that there was a fully developed team effort so that the company never had to rely on a single person.

After his extensive training in special forces, his group deployed to Okinawa, Japan for a 2.5-yr tour. From there, they left for Vietnam and worked for the CIA to run the Civilian Regular Defense Groups out of Saigon.

Ted Cummings recalled leading his large battalion and having to deal with a small minority of them that were disinterested and oftentimes rebellious against their own leadership and involvement in the war. Having to handle this extra variable proved challenging but surmountable for Cummings in his leadership.

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In 1965, Johnson sent some troops down to the Dominican Republic to manage the Cuban revolutionaries that had taken root their. Ted Cummings was a part of the battalion sent down there to manage American influence.